pricing policy

updated sun 8 mar 98

Eleanora Eden on tue 3 mar 98

I have been meaning to share my Pricing Policy manifesto with y'all for
awhile. It got me some mileage recently in Miami where I seemed to be
explaining til I was some kind of purple that no, all exhibitors definitely
don't give discounts......finally I whipped this sheet out and handed it to
this guy and made my point with no more ado.......I find that I don't throw
it around very frequently but when the need arises it sure comes in handy.
You are all welcome to adopt or adapt this for your use.

PRICING POLICY

Many people seem to think they are being taken advantage of when asked to
pay the retail price for merchandise in such a situation as a crafts fair.
There is an assumption that others are paying less and that the full price
is not really expected.

I am a one-person business. My work is as much art as it is craft and
nobody can do my work for me. I have given a great deal of thought to my
pricing structure. I think it is consistent with market prices for this
kind of work and internally consistent as well.

When crafts retailers obtain a discount from a craftsperson they are paying
for that discount in a variety of ways. First of all they are buying in
quantity and waiting quite awhile for delivery. Secondly, they are giving
valuable exposure to the craftsperson. This is a very important feature
of doing business in that way. Many of you will have seen my work in
galleries or shops which you hold in high regard and that in itself has
added value to my work. I often have customers who have seen my work in a
gallery and that gives the customer confidence in me as a reliable
craftsperson in the marketplace.

There are many different kinds of businesses represented at a crafts fair.
Many are organized primarily or extensively with employees, and in such
businesses more output only means more employees or driving them harder.
But also there are many artisans such as myself who by the very nature of
their work are definitely limited in output. If I can only possibly
produce afew of a piece in a year I cannot afford to discount the price of
that piece. I am not currently wholesaling my work because I have found
that with my limited output it is not profitable. When I do give discounts
to galleries it is because they are giving me important exposure and they
are spending time with customers I cannot reach.

Please do not ask me for discounts on my prices. By coming to this fair I
am already spending a significant chunk of the price on marketing. I
cannot afford further discounts.
Eleanora Eden 802 869-2003
Paradise Hill
Bellows Falls, VT 05101 eden@sover.net

Riff Fenton on wed 4 mar 98

Eleanora;
thanks for the thoughtful pricing statement.
the only addition I have thought of is that even IF
you were currently wholesaling your pots, it is really
never a good idea that when you do retail to undersell
your retailers. could result in bad feelings.
riff

Linhares on sat 7 mar 98

Hi Eleanora,

A potter I knew who used to do quite a few shows in Florida told me
that everyone there expected a "deal". He said after a few years of
doing shows there he got so frustrated he decided to jack up his
prices for the Florida shows. Much to his suprise no one complained
as he allowed them to talk him down to his regular price, they walked
away thinking they got a deal and some even paid the new higher price.
Sometimes coustomers are very irritating but it never pays to
irritate them in return, maybe it would be easier to play the game?

Paul in Morgantown where it's actually sunny today!

Eleanora Eden on sat 7 mar 98

Hi Riff,

That's for sure. I do have relationships with some fancy galleries that I
consign large pieces with and it makes me really crazy when people who see
my stuff there try to come to my studio to get a discount.
I explain to them that the benefit they get from coming to my studio is
that they get a far larger array of work to see and have the artiste right
there to answer questions and give more of a personal connection to the
work.......and I also explain that I have an honorable and satisfying
relationship with the gallery and have no reason on earth to undermine that.

I think I mentioned here awhile back that I was at a party this gallery
gives seasonally and some people who buy my work through them approached me
right in their gallery and made some kind of noise about getting a better
price at my studio.....jeez louise.......

Eleanora

...................

>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Eleanora;
>thanks for the thoughtful pricing statement.
>the only addition I have thought of is that even IF
>you were currently wholesaling your pots, it is really
>never a good idea that when you do retail to undersell
>your retailers. could result in bad feelings.
>riff
>
Eleanora Eden 802 869-2003
Paradise Hill
Bellows Falls, VT 05101 eden@sover.net